


Sakura Tinted Water

by miki_mouse716



Category: Bleach
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Love/Hate, Rivalry, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2019-10-15 04:14:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17521802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miki_mouse716/pseuds/miki_mouse716
Summary: Byakuya swore to never love again after the death of Hisana. He thought that no one could ever give him the love and joy that she had given him during their marriage. But one day by the river, his eyes crossed with a pair of familiar ones that were lost in the past; irritation ensued. After that, he decided that he couldn't waste his time on her—she reminds him of that woman.





	1. Sakura Tinted Memories

I remember him from long ago; I'm reminded of him every time the aroma of cherry blossoms greets me.

He was that short tempered brat that Yoruichi always got the best of. He was preparing to become the next head of the Kuchiki clan and now a powerful shinigami. I remember that his grandfather would often praise him for his technique and determination, but he was always quick to anger and very hot-headed.

I remember it just like it was yesterday: I would sit to the side and watch Yoruichi tease him. The sweetness of freesia, cherry blossoms, the tartness of freshly cut grass and the clear crisp koi pond often kept me company while he chased her around his grandfather's extravagant garden.

Back then, he always wore his hair in a ponytail just like Yoruichi. Her idea of fun was to always snatch his hair tie from his long, raven hair when he too focused into his training. He couldn't stand her and her shenanigans and said that her mere presence alone annoyed him. Her golden eyes annoyed him even more. They were fierce, but always gave way to moments of mischief and freedom. He often complained about his grandfather allowing us to visit.

I always laughed at his inability to catch her. He could barely touch her!

Needless to say, Byakuya didn't like me either. He said that my eyes were just like hers and it meant double the trouble for him. I admit that I was a little hurt by his comment, but I kept visiting the Kuchiki Manor with Yoruichi. Quietly watching him from afar for some time planted a seed of curiosity inside me about the young Byakuya. Curiosity grew into adoration which quickly led me to join Yoruichi in making him miserable with our shenanigans. Two girls snatching his hair tie away and he couldn't catch either one of them? Even when sparring with us, he had a hard time attempting to strike us. That made for one very irked Byakuya, but two light hearted girls. Those days were filled with hard work and laughter.

That was the Byakuya that I remembered. He had gone through his fair share of trials and tribulations over the years. He married Hisana, a woman that didn't come from a noble family...and what an uproar that caused in the Kuchiki family! It was the one time that he had broken the rules, which I was surprised since he had always tried to keep the peace and follow the rules as the years went by. But everyone could see in his eyes that he loved Hisana with all of his heart and soul. I have to admit that I was a little envious of Hisana; I wondered from time to time if a man would one day love me the same way he loved her.

But as time went on, he lost the love of his life. He was devastated that he had to lay her to rest; I had never seen him so solemn before. Afterwards, he adopted her baby sister as a final request from her, which I thought was very sweet, but that brought another uproar with it; he broke another rule. He swore on his parents' grave that he wouldn't break the laws again.

Later, he became the stoic and aristocratic captain of squad six, taking his grandfather's place. Since then, I saw him struggle between family and lawful duty and in the end, he found that balance.

I admired and respected him from afar; he had a special place in my heart. But I knew that he wouldn't look my way; for my eyes and antics had annoyed him in days past. But after moving up in the ranks and becoming a very powerful and respected captain, I often found myself wondering one thing: did I ever cross his mind at any time?


	2. Those Golden Eyes

The afternoon sun was starting to set in the distance over the Seireitei, painting the sky with vibrant hues of orange and yellow. The door slid open and shut behind a feminine figure who proceeded to walk towards her wooden desk, her long straight, hair swaying from side to side.

Miyako sighed as she dumped her pile of books and mail onto said desk, draped her zanpakuto's sash over her chair and flopped onto her bed. She yawned and wiped a tear away from her eye. Today was another long day at the Shinoureijutsuin, the academy where aspiring shinigami flocked to in order to achieve their dreams. Miyako was a second year student and performed well in all of the academy's main courses; zanjutsu, hakuda, hohou and kidou, but out of all four, hohou was her greatest skill. She had been harnessing that skill from a very young age, thanks to her support circle.

Although the typical shinigami school courses was stretched over five years, Miyako was set to graduate in her second year. Graduation was a stressful time for all of the upcoming graduates; passing final exams was almost a matter of life or death for most. It was the last chance for students to prove their skills not only to the academy, but to the Gotei 13 Captains. With graduation a little over three months away, she wasn't too pressed on impressing a particular captain. Her destiny was already set for her, regardless of what she thought and wanted to do with her life.

Not wanting to think much more about it, Miyako tilted her head over to see the few pieces of mail to sort through. She yawned again and stretched before getting up and grabbing her mail.

_'Junk, junk, a letter about SWA from Yachiru…'_ she couldn't help but laugh. She saw Yachiru as the little sister she never had. The young lieutenant was full of life and hijinks; she saw a little bit of her younger self in Yachiru. Between classes or after classes and training, Yachiru would use her uncanny ability to sniff Miyako out of Seireitei's population, even when she kept her reiatsu to the absolute minimum. She would find her and try to do what Miyako coined "volun-force" her into one of her pranks she was trying to pull against her next unsuspecting victim. Miyako usually stayed out of executing the pranks, but watched from a distance. If she felt that Yachiru was going too far, she'd intervene and save the poor soul from Yachiru's shenanigans.

Miyako moved on the next letter, which boasted the seal of the second squad. _'Soifon?'_ she thought. She opened the letter and read it.

_Miya,_

_Your graduation is coming up soon, congratulations! I've been watching you grow since you were young and I'm very proud of you. I'm sure that your family is very proud of you, too; you have a great destiny ahead of you. Like we discussed before, I'm awaiting the time when you'll enter my division! Your skills would be an asset and I'm sure it'll be beneficial in our battle for the Winter War. Please contact me if you need anything. I'll see you soon._

_Soifon_

Miyako stuffed the letter back into the envelope. She walked to the mirror and sighed. She longed for the day that she would be able to switch her red hakama and white kisode for a shinigami shihakusho. One day, she even hoped to become a strong and skillful captain and be just like Yoruichi and Soifon before her. She smiled as she imagined herself wearing her captain's white haori. Her smile turned into a corny smile as she cheesed at the thought of strolling around the Seireitei with her long blue hair flowing in the wind and the sun kissing her tan skin. She would become a well respected member of the Gotei 13.

While it was nice to dream, she knew that it would be a long and hard road ahead to becoming a captain and she had no choice but to take that role seriously. Miyako knew that it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine. Although she was subjected to heavy covert training sessions courtesy of Soifon, sometimes she felt like it wasn't enough. She would have to train harder than that if she wanted to lay a hand on Aizen. Her eyes narrowed when she thought about the former captain and all of the trouble he caused, especially to her family.

_'You'll pay Aizen...I'll make sure of it!'_

An intense fire burned within her. Miyako turned to her zanpakuto that she left hanging from the side of her desk chair. She grabbed her sword looked out of her window. The evening sunshine flooded her room, giving it a golden haze.

_'I can get some training in before dinner. Kimura wouldn't be expecting me for another couple of hours.'_ she thought.

With that, she locked her dorm room door and dashed away towards her home.

\--------------

Miyako arrived a few miles away from her home. There was a forest with a clearing that had a sizable river flowing through it. It had always been her favorite spot to relax and unwind at after a long day. No one tended to come in the area often, which was perfectly fine with her. After being entwined in the hustle and bustle of her academic and family affairs, she was grateful there were no souls nearby; it was also a great area to train at. Miyako took a deep breath and smiled before tying up hair up into a high ponytail.

_'Time to get to work.'_

Miyako then placed her hand on zanpakuto's guard, which was shaped like rolling waves, and unsheathed her zanpakuto.

"Drag them under, Unabara." she commanded.

Her zanpakuto glowed in a brilliant blue hue and changed its form. The blade turned into water, growing like an infinite, flowing ribbon. After stretching for a moment, she started her practice with controlling the sly movements and attack power of the ribbon.

\-------------

Hours later, the crescent moon had replaced the evening sun, its light enveloping the Seireitei. Byakuya Kuchiki had finally left his division after finishing a sizable amount of paperwork. He opted to walk home instead of shunpo his way back. He wanted to enjoy the peace while it was still available, as well as enjoy the cool, summer night air. As he walked up the dirt path to the manor, he felt several faint waves of a calm, yet intense wave of reiatsu nearby. He stopped as his eyes narrowed as he wondered who was giving off that particular reiatsu signature. _'Who does that reiatsu belong to? Is it Rukia? Did she return already?'_ he wondered.

After a few moments more of feeling another wave of the reiatsu, he came to the conclusion that the reiatsu didn't belong to Rukia. His curiosity was official piqued. He decided to make his way towards the unique reiatsu.

Minutes later, Byakuya found himself standing between the border of the forest and the clearing. He watched Miyako as she danced diligently above the river's surface, her back facing him. The water ribbon from her zanpakuto moved diligently with her, her movements at times quick and sharp, then sly and sharp. As Byakuya wondered who she was, he found himself stepping closer. He inadvertently stepped on a lone branch, its snap ringing in their ears.

"Hado #4: Byakurai!"

The kido spell missed Byakuya by a hair due to him jumping away from the attack. Shock had drained his grey eyes to a pale grey, the assault was clearly unexpected. Miyako still had her finger pointed towards the sixth division captain, her eyes glaring fierce and sharp at her intended target. Once she saw who was standing in the brush, her heart dropped and the color was drained from her face. She let out a gasp, quickly calling her zanpakuto to revert back into its sealed form.

_'Shit!'_ she thought.

In a blink of an eye, Miyako was gone. Although her body was physically gone, her face was present in Byakuya's mind, more specifically her eyes. There was no mistake in who he knew who she was, even with the dim light of the crescent moon.

_'Those golden eyes…'_ he thought. Irritation ensued as he narrowed his eyes; many memories started coming back to him. They plagued him too often for his liking; he could never forget them.

"You…" he grumbled.


	3. After the Fact

Byakuya laid his brush down after he signed the last document. His day was filled with dealing with his division members, and several training seminars topped with a mountain of paperwork that was in dire need of his review and elegant signature. The crescent moon had long traded shifts with the sun. He had dismissed Renji a while ago and the barracks were now quiet. Byakuya was in the mood for one more cup of green tea, but decided to postpone the desire until after dinner. After sliding his chair under his desk and shutting his lamp off for the night, he left the barracks to return to the Kuchiki manor.

The cool evening summer air and soft moonlight gently kissed his pale skin as he walked back to the manor. Normally, he preferred to shunpo back, but he wanted to enjoy the peace while it was still available.

The pathway to the Kuchiki Manor was a dirt road that was squeezed in between a hill and a lush forest. When he was nearing closer to his home, he felt a slither of reiatsu coming from the forest. He shrugged the reiatsu away, as it wasn't anything he felt like that needed his attention. Moments later, he felt the same reiatsu again, but it was calm, yet intense. The opposing energies forced him to stop walking.

_'Who does that reiatsu belong to? Is it Rukia?'_ he wondered. _'Did she return already?'_

Another wave greeted him again soon afterwards and he analyzed the energy. _'No...I'm certain that it's not Rukia. Her reiatsu is sharp and cold, yet elegant.'_ he reasoned with himself. One again, another wave came by, officially piquing his interest; he postponed his return home in order to discover who that particular unique reiatsu signature belonged to.

Minutes later, Byakuya found himself staring into a clearing in the forest. A waterfall was in the distance, giving way to a sizable river that flowed downward towards the Seireitei. The beauty of the waterfall and its surroundings wasn't what caught his attention; someone was dancing diligently above the river's surface.

He quickly discerned that the person in question was a female; her long ponytail and water ribbon danced around her curvy figure, moving diligently with her quick and sharp movements that soon changed into sly and sharp movements. The girl seemed to be in her own world, completely oblivious to his presence.

Byakuya was captivated by her dance and wondered who she was. The moonlight was bright enough for him to note that she was wearing the Shinoureijutsuin robes and she had her back facing him. Intrigued even more that a student was training in the forest with a shikai, he found himself stepping closer to observe her next move. Unfortunately for him, he inadvertently stepped on a lone branch two steps later, its snap ringing in their ears.

"Hado #4: Byakurai!"

Byakuya quickly snapped back into reality and dodged the white laser. The kido spell missed Byakuya by a hair, shocking him to the point that his slate eyes were quickly reduced to a pale grey.

The girl still had her finger pointed towards the sixth division captain. A wisp of smoke fled from her index finger; her eyes glaring fierce and sharp at her intended target. Fear was instantly slapped onto her face once she saw who was standing in the brush. Byakuya heard her let out a gasp and she quickly commanded her zanpakuto to revert back into its sealed form.

In a blink of an eye, she was gone. Although her body was physically gone, her face was present in Byakuya's mind, more specifically her eyes. It was unmistakable: those fierce eyes, more notably their color.

_'Those golden eyes…'_ he thought. Irritation ensued as he narrowed his eyes; many memories started coming back to him.

"You…" he grumbled.

\-------------------

Miyako found herself at the front gate of her home moments later. The girl's heart was still beating a million miles a minute and panic was still in her eyes as she tried to prop herself against the stone gate. She held her chest in pain; the mix of panic and exhaustion was akin to a roundhouse kick in the teeth at that point in time.

'Shit shit shit shit shit!' she panicked. _'I shot a Byakurai at Byakuya Kuchiki! He's going to kill me once he finds me and my family will maim me once they find out!'_

"Lady Miyako?" a feminine voice called.

Miyako suppressed the desire to scream and looked behind her. The cast iron gate had opened and revealed an elderly lady whose head met with Miyako's shoulder. Her long silver hair was tied back into a thick braid and it shined subtly in the moonlight. She was sporting a grey servant's yukata and gave a smile to the young girl. She was like a grandmother to her.

"Kimura! You startled me!"

"I apologize Lady Miyako. I was getting worried when you didn't return home on time, so I've been out here waiting for you to arrive." she replied.

Miyako gasped. "I lost track of time! I'm so sorry Kimura! Please forgive my tardiness. I sincerely hope that I didn't waste dinner…"

"Oh no, Lady Miyako. I asked the chefs to postpone your dinner until I knew that you were close by."

Miyako sniffed and tried to calm her breathing now that she was at home. She blushed in embarrassment when she heard her stomach growl, prompting a chuckle from the elderly servant.

"Come now, Lady Miyako." Kimura said. "Let's get you inside and cleaned up for dinner. I requested on your behalf for the chef to prepare your favorite dinner." she said with a smile.

A little of her discomfort melted away. "Is that so? Thank you, Kimura! I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I hope that I'm not too tardy. Did mother and father have dinner already?" she asked as they started walking up the stone pathway.

"They're currently having dinner with the Shiba clan tonight, so I'm afraid that you'll be dining alone tonight."

A mix of disappointment and relief washed over her. _'Although my parents are busy tonight and I can't have dinner with them, I'm grateful that I won't have to hide my discomfort around them concerning my encounter with Byakuya.'_

"Is that so? I wasn't aware that they'd be away tonight."

"It was a last minute invitation." Kimura replied.

"I see…"

As they approached the manor, Miyako started the feel the after effects of her impromptu training. _'Ugh…'_ she thought. She didn't care to smell like nature and sweat, on top of being sore.

"Kimura, would you mind if I have dinner in my room tonight? I would really like to take a bath right now."

"Oh yes Lady Miyako, I understand. I'll have it sent to your room as soon as it's finished. In the meantime, I'll get your bath started while you unwind from your long day."

Miyako sighed. "Thank you so much! I really appreciate it."

The two finally reached the entrance and Kimura had instructed the other servants to inform the chef of Miyako's arrival and to prepare her bath while she attended to other household manners. Miyako made her way to her room in the west wing. She quickly slid the shoji door shut behind her and let out a large sigh. The servants were quick to leave her bathing essentials on her bed. Seeing those items relaxed her tense muscles a bit.

_'Hopefully I can relax in the bath and take my mind off of my current predicament for a moment…'_ she thought.

Miyako placed her zanpakuto beside her bed and was quick to undress and bathe. After spending half an hour in the bath, she helped herself to a freshly cooked dinner of shrimp tempura, steamed rice and miso soup. Munching down on her favorite dinner after a relaxing bath took her mind off of Byakuya; she was grateful for the escape. After dinner, she decided to turn in early. Tomorrow would arrive before she knew it and would end her temporary escape. It wouldn't be long until she crossed paths with Byakuya again.


	4. Golden Eyed Memories

After Miyako had fled from the forest, Byakuya still remained in his hiding spot. Emotions hit the stoic captain all at once; confusion and anger, anger being the strongest one. That kido spell missed him by a hair. It bothered him that someone was actually that close to hitting him. He scolded himself for being caught off guard.

 _'Her aim was almost impeccable, I'll admit…'_ he thought.

What bothered him even more was that he didn't expect such a violent reaction. He didn't even have the chance to think much about dodging her lightning charged attack.

_'Not to mention that she's very agile…'_

Questions flooded his head: did she know he was there and was feigning ignorance? Was she intending to cause bodily harm or death?

The captain narrowed his eyes for a moment and clenched his fists. He turned his back to the clearing and proceeded to return home as quickly as possible.

\-----------------

Byakuya finally reached his manor moments later. With his attitude ruined, he no longer felt like walking home at a snail's pace. He had already had a long day and he was hoping to rest peacefully for the night. He had planned to bathe, eat dinner and have one more cup of green tea, but low and behold Miyako ruined his plans.

Usually Byakuya was the calm, cool and collected head of the Kuchiki clan—but not tonight. As much as he tried to hide it from the manor staff, his irritation seeped from his body like a slow burning flame. His staff didn't know how to react once he entered the manor. The only natural thing to do was to cower in fear.

"...Welcome home, Master Kuchiki." a servant said.

Byakuya returned the welcome with a cold and empty glare, scaring the poor manservant. Another servant approached him, this time a woman, also frightened by his demeanor.

"...Would you like dinner first, Master Kuchiki?" she asked.

Byakuya glanced at the maidservant and tried to prevent himself from displaying a more intense scowl. The poor woman had tried her best to meet him eye to eye. The problem was that the color of her eyes had almost sent him back into a mental rage; luckily her eyes were a beautiful shade of honey brown, not gold like his supposed assailant. Byakuya forced himself to once again come off of Rage Mountain once he saw the difference in the hues of their eyes. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"I'd would like to request that my dinner and a cup of green tea to be brought to my room in thirty minutes." he said sharply.

The maidservant nodded slowly. "Y-yes, Master Byakuya…" she said before she spun on her heel and darted off to the kitchen. Byakuya gave everyone who remained a stone cold glare, causing them to also make themselves scarce. He let out a deep breath and made his way to his room. A hot bath was definitely in order.

\--------------------

Byakuya slid his bedroom door open and was greeted with the pale golden luminescence of the light from various lanterns. He slipped in quietly and proceeded to strip his body of his captain's haori, which he set out to be laundered by the staff for the next day. Next, Senbonzakura was placed neatly on a display stand near his luxurious king-sized bed.

To his left was his private bathroom, which he made a quick, elegant beeline towards. The room was filled with a thin veil of steam that carried the delicate fragrance of cherry blossoms and lavender. He started to loosen up a bit once the floral aroma entered his nose, prompting him to shed his shinigami robes and keisaikan and discarding them into a nearby straw basket. He slipped his slender, yet toned body into the bath salts and oil infused bath and soaked his dilemma and aches away for a while.

After bathing and wrapping himself in a white robe, Byakuya strolled to his in-room office, which was located in the room behind his bed. A beautiful plate of assorted sashimi paired with fresh seasonal vegetables and hot miso soup was waiting for him atop of his desk, along with his cup of green tea. After filling in his stomach, he helped himself to a small amount his green tea.

He took the cup with him and headed out to the elaborate garden that laid outside of his room. The large garden was his favorite places in the manor. It was filled with a variety of shrubbery, from plain bushes to various patches of flowers, a sizeable manmade pond filled with exotic and expensive koi fish and of course, his beloved cherry blossom trees. The garden was quiet aside from a gentle breeze that rustled the foliage. The golden light from the garden lanterns illuminated the entire garden, complimenting the celestial body above his raven head.

Seeing the crescent moon quickly reminded him about his encounter with Miyako. Her curvy silhouette briefly flashed in his memory.

 _'How long has it been since I've last seen her?'_ he thought.

From what he remembered, she was a lot less curvy; almost a complete opposite to Yoruichi, who had always been curvy. But he had to remember that was due to her being much younger, maybe while she was in her prepubescent years. Her younger form had came back to him: a slightly tall and lanky girl pre-teen girl with long blue hair and of course, big golden eyes. His mind travel back to when he first met the girl.

\--------------------

Byakuya had woken up early once again and had a smile plastered onto his face. It was another beautiful day at the manor; the sun shined warmly in the clear blue sky. The wind was calm, welcoming another warm spring day. He almost ripped himself out of his bed and jumped out. He freshened up before running to his closet. Before he could set his eyes on his clothes, a voice had interrupted him.

When he exited his walk-in closet, Byakuya was met with one of his servants, who was ready to attend to the young heir. She bowed slightly before addressing him.

"Master Byakuya," the maid servant called out, "would you like your breakfast now? The chef is ready to serve you."

The young heir waved his hand and declined. "Thank you, but I don't desire to have a meal right now. I need to continue my training as soon as possible."

Training and becoming stronger was at the forefront of his mind. He knew that the day would come when he'd become the new head of the Kuchiki clan. He was also determined to become the captain of Sixth Division, just like his grandfather Ginrei, the current captain. He admired him greatly and wanted to grow into a man of his caliber.

"Yes, Master Byakuya." the maid servant replied before she had quietly left the room, prompting him to get dressed.

A couple of hours later, Byakuya had been training alone outside in the garden with a wooden sword. He focused heavily on making power precise and swift strikes as sweat traveled down his brow. He ignored the hunger pains that begged him to halt his training and fill his stomach. His focus had blocked out everyone and everything from his world until he heard the sound of heavy clapping. His eyes quickly cut over to his right.

"Good job, good job." an elderly voice said.

Ginrei had stepped out from the shadows of the shaded walkway and entered the garden. Byakuya's face lit up when he saw his grandfather.

"Grandfather!" he exclaimed.

Ginrei nodded. "Hello, Byakuya." he replied.

"What a surprise to see you! What are you doing here? Are you staying here instead of at the barracks?"

"I came to see you train, my dear grandson. I'm impressed by your swordsmanship. I can tell that you've been training quite often. You've improved since the last time I saw you."

Byakuya wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled. "Thank you!"

"But you have to improve on your awareness. I've been standing here for ten minutes and you didn't notice me until I started clapping."

Byakuya felt the sting of Ginrei's words. "Yes sir, I understand. I'll do my best to improve! But like I had said earlier, it's a surprise to see you. Besides observing me during my training, what else do you have planned? I hope that you have some free time! I haven't been able to talk with you in so long! I enjoy our conversations."

Ginrei gave him a small grin. "I came here to inform you that I brought some guests over to visit you…" he replied.

Byakuya blinked in curiosity. "Who might that be, grandfather?"

His question was answered when something warm and squishy had hit in him his face, taking him by surprise. A familiar fragrance crept up his nose; one made of lavender and neroli and a hint of lemon. It instantly threw him into a puddle of irritation. He quickly swung his sword at his target, but they evaded his attack easily. He growled and flashed his pearly white teeth while he kept his grip tight on his sword.

"Why are you here, Shihouin?!"

Yoruichi chuckled at this attitude. Her golden eyes looked down on him mischievously; they mocked him. "Is that anyway to treat a guest? All I wanted to do was drop by for a visit...I came all this way just for you!"

"Anytime that you 'drop by' results in a dreadful time! When did I ever say that I wanted you to visit me?!" he replied while pointing his sword at her. "As the next head of the Kuchiki clan, I don't have time for you and your shenanigans!"

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I think that you'll have time for this!"

Yoruichi snapped her fingers and instantly, Byakuya's red hair tie was snatched out of his hair. He quickly swung his sword again expecting to hit Yoruichi, but someone else had caught his attention, not to mention its scent; he was hit with a swift essence of water lily with a hint of lemon. Standing on the ledge of the stone garden wall, a skinnier and younger version of Yoruichi who was dressed in an ocean themed spring yukata looked down on him with her golden eyes. She held his hair tie in between her slender fingers. Her back length blue hair swayed a bit before finally resting on her back.

"Wow...this was pretty effortless to snatch out of your hair…it's pretty sad, really..." she said. "Your grandfather is right! You really do need to train harder in your focus!"

Byakuya's eyes widened, his mouth open wide enough for a few flies to enter. He looked back and forth between the two to make sure that he wasn't going insane. "W-who are you?! Tell me now!"

All the girl did back was smile at him. "Byakuya, this is Miyako. She's my sister." Yoruichi said.

"S-sister?" he questioned.

The two nodded at him. Miyako giggled as she played with the hair tie. "Shall we play now, sister? Just like you said earlier?"

"Yes! Let's play tag with little Byakuya! I'm sure that he won't mind!" she said with a wink.

"Oh no you two don't!" Byakuya protested. "I don't have time for this! Now return my hair tie at once!"

Yoruichi shook her head in disappointment. "I feel sorry for the Kuchiki clan if its next heir can't catch two girls...especially one that's wearing a yukata!" she said before flashing stepping away. Byakuya quickly turned to Miyako, who simply waved and also flash stepped away. Byakuya wanted to scream, but he gnashed his teeth instead.

"Just you two watch! You'll see exactly what I can do!"

The young heir quickly raced after them, leaving Ginrei by himself.

\----------------------

 _'And from that point on, those two kept pestering me whenever they could…'_ Byakuya thought. _'But it's been at least a hundred years since I've really interacted with her…'_

A lot of things had happened since their adolescent years. In between dealing with Shihouin sisters, Byakuya had continued his training. He matured over the years and had met Hisana, a beautiful, delicate flower of a woman from the poverty-stricken 78th district of Rukongai, Inuzuri. For the first time in his life, love had invaded his heart. Byakuya couldn't help his feelings towards her and had always grew up with the strict rules of the Kuchiki Clan. He was conflicted, but his love for Hisana had grown into something bigger than duty and rules. After a short time, Byakuya broke the rules and married the commoner woman.

Byakuya, a man whose face seldomly held a cheerful expression, couldn't help but smile. He remembered their wedding day like it was yesterday; Hisana was by his side, dressed in an elegant white robe. A crown of white roses were a striking contrast against her short, silky raven hair. After one kiss, they were married and he was content in their happiness.

Byakuya's small smile quickly collapsed into a frown. Five years later, his beloved Hisana had fallen ill and succumbed to death's unavoidable grip. Byakuya's heart was nevertheless shattered. Their marriage was short and they didn't have any children, which was something he longed for with his late wife; a family to love and to carry on the Kuchiki empire. They had tried several times to conceive, but their efforts were in vain. He remembered the disappointment that came with it, but he knew that his was nothing compared to the disappointment that Hisana felt. He knew that the elders gossiped about them behind closed doors about her inability to conceive, but that didn't stop him from loving her or putting people in their place. He never wanted her to feel like any less of the amazing woman that he thought of her to be.

After Hisana died, he fulfilled her dying wish, once again breaking the rules of the Kuchiki clan. He found and adopted Hisana's long lost sister, Rukia, who bared a striking resemblance to his beloved. He thought that Hisana had been reincarnated, but he knew that his wishful thinking was nothing more than mere fiction. Rukia contrasted greatly from her sister; strong-willed and fierce, especially in battle. The two sisters were truly day and night and he grew to love her like the sibling he never had. Although he didn't admit it, he was proud of the powerful shinigami that she was growing into.

When Hisana died, his heart died with her. He swore to never love again and threw himself heavily into his clan and captain duties. Women had approached him several times over the years and he never acknowledged their advances. To him, he couldn't love another woman that wasn't Hisana. No other woman could make his heart skip a beat like she once did.

Miyako was just another woman, an irritating one at that. His mind couldn't help think back to earlier that evening; those golden eyes standing at the forefront of his mind. Byakuya pushed her to the back of his mind and drank the rest of his tea before he proceeded to make his way to his bed. Before crawling into the opulent covers, he looked at the crescent moon one last time. Her voice and especially her golden eyes replayed in his mind once again. His irritation started to manifest again, his frown deep.

Seconds later, his mind was made up: just like the others, he wouldn't waste his time on Miyako Shihouin.


	5. The Morning After

Bright sunlight of the dawn flooded through the beige shoji doors and crawled onto Miyako's sleeping face, prompting her to willingly keep her eyes closed as tight as possible. She flipped over to her side to avoid the new morning's call. But to her dismay, the morning sun wasn't the only one that wanted her attention. The sound of her door sliding open quickly entered her ears, making her brows furrow lightly in irritation.

"Lady Miyako," Kimura called. "It's not the weekend, dear. You have to wake up now if you want to be on time for today's classes." she warned.

Miyako stayed silent for a moment and then let out a heavy sigh before opening her eyes.

"Your breakfast will be ready very soon and your hakama and kisode have been laundered. You will find your clothes in your bathroom. Please hurry, Lady Miyako."

Kimura shut the door and Miyako rolled back onto her back in a daze. It took a moment before her vision cleared—then everything clicked. She quickly jumped up from her bed, her blue hair strewn messily around her.

 _'That's right...I came home last night…'_ she thought. Then she shuttered. _'After I shot a kido attack at...Byakuya Kuchiki!'_

She groaned loudly as she ran her slender fingers through her hair. _'How am I going to avoid him today when the Kuchiki Manor is down the road?!'_

Miyako stayed in her bed for moment to focus on feeling the reiatsu around her. Many small flames of reiatsu were near her, which belonged to the staff of the manor. Closing her eyes, she widened her focus to reach beyond the Shihouin property, extending down the road to the Kuchiki manor. Seconds later, another heavy sigh escaped her lips.

_'And he's still there…'_

Filled with frustration and nervousness, she focused her eyes on her bathroom and ripped her comforter off of her body.

 _'No matter...I'll just leave before he has the chance to do the same! Then I won't have to see him!'_ she thought.

That thought was easier said than done. She made a beeline for the bathroom in hopes of leaving quickly.

\-----------------

After freshening up and getting dressed in record time, Miyako made her way to the entrance at the manor, her steps hard and quick. Before leaving her room, she completed another reiatsu scan; Byakuya was still at the manor. She was ready to slip her shoes on and flash step as fast as she could to the academy, but her plans were ruined when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Lady Miyako!" Kimura called out to her, making her freeze instantly. "Where are you going? Are you off to the academy already? You haven't had your breakfast yet. The chef has just finished preparing your meal."

Miyako turned to meet the eldery woman. "Kimura! I apologize, but I'm not hungry at the moment!" she lied. "Please give my regards to the chef!"

Unfortunately for her, the silver haired woman didn't budge. Giving her an indifferent glare, she pursed her lips before responding.

"That's nonsense! As a growing lady, you need your daily nutrition! I hope that you don't refuse meals while staying at the academy."

"No, that's not it at all! I do eat my meals at the academy! You can contact them and inquire!"

"Then eat. Now." she replied with a sharp glare.

Knowing that the woman wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, she dragged her feet to the dining room.

\-------------------

Eating breakfast was nothing short of painful. As much as she wanted to basically swallow her meal in one fell swoop, she had to refrain from eating so sloppily; her parents and Kimura would never allow it. Carefully placing her chopsticks over her empty rice bowl, she thanked everyone for the meal in her expected princess-like manner and left for the foyer. Slipping on her shoes and making sure that her zanpakuto was fastened to her pants, she quickly flashed stepped her way to the academy. On her way there, she saw the Kuchiki manor in the distance and made sure that her next jump was longer than her normal stride. She felt his reiatsu under her and jumped faster towards the academy.

Miyako arrived minutes later at the academy entrance. Other students were arriving, the sounds of yawning and groaning accompanying them. After looking behind her back, a sigh of relief escaped her lips. Then she quickly snorted. _'What am I doing? As if he'd follow me back to the academy!'_ she thought.

"HEY MIYA!" a loud voice called out.

Miyako's heart jumped fifty feet in the air as she shrieked. After coming back to her senses, Miyako glared at the one who scared her.

"Rumi!" she shrieked. "Don't do that!"

Rumi was a tall, lively green-eyed girl that had befriended Miyako when they both entered the academy. In the beginning, Miyako had a hard time blending in due to her noble status. Rumi was one of the first to offer her friendship. She was grateful that Rumi had also taught her how to let her hair down in public—having the opportunity to behave like a normal person was a great stress reliever.

The energetic redhead couldn't help but let out a loud laugh as Miyako scowled at her. "Come on, Miya! As someone who trains under Captain Soifon, you shouldn't get so damn jumpy!"

Miyako blushed in embarrassment. _'She's right, but it's not like I have nerves of steel right now!'_

"Hello, Rumi." she replied quietly. "How are you this morning?"

Rumi stretched and yawned. "I'm as good as anyone else, I guess. How about yourself?"

Miyako brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I'm good as well." she lied. "Are you ready to start class? We have a kido practical in Ms. Kubota's class, you know...on the new incantations."

Rumi yawned again, her green eyes started to flood with morning tears. She quickly wiped them away and gave Miyako a smile. "Yeah! I'm ready to show her and the others what's up! I practiced a ton last night! How about you?"

Miyako froze for a moment and avoided Rumi's gaze. "You can say that…" she replied as she thought back to the night before.

Rumi raised a brow at Miyako's averting eyes. "What's wrong with you? Are you nervous about the practical or something?"

Miyako quickly masked her nervousness and smiled. "Well you know that I always get a little nervous before a test…"

Rumi patted Miyako's back in confidence. "Girl, you always pass your tests! I don't know why you worry so much!"

The flow of students started to dwindle, prompting the two teens to end their conversation.

"It's getting quiet. We should get to class." Miyako said.

Rumi nodded and the two joined the last of the students. Before they reached the main building, Miyako briefly glanced at the entrance. As her eyes shrunk down to the size of peas, her heart jumped when she saw the last thing she wanted to see—the burning glare of ice cold grey eyes staring right back at her.


	6. Before the Moment

Byakuya was awakened by the morning sun's bright rays. His pale hand reached over to the side of the bed, trying to clench onto the item that it was searching for. Byakuya fully awakened when he realized that what, rather who—wasn't there. His grey eyes looked over to the other side of the bed. After experiencing a blissful dream where he had Hisana in his arms, his heart broke when reality kicked him in the teeth. Hisana was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.

He clenched his spare pillow gently as if it was her before he made himself get out of bed. As usual; his clothes were freshly laundered and waiting for him in his bathroom. After freshening up and getting dressed, he roamed to the dining room where a fresh, hot breakfast of grilled fish, steamed rice, miso soup, and vegetable tempura was waiting for him. He dined alone once again—Rukia was currently away in the World of the Living. Her presence was missed during mealtimes; she always brought in a ray of sunshine into the manor even if she was silent.

Byakuya paused momentarily and glanced out towards the garden. He had to resist snapping his lavish chopsticks in half. His quiet morning was ruined by feeling her reiatsu. Her reiatsu disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving him to wallow in irritation. Byakuya gave his breakfast the evil eye before placing his chopsticks on the chopstick rest; he lost his appetite.

He grabbed his zanpakuto and fastened it to his obi before rushing from the manor.

\--------------------

The Seireitei was bustling with the many shinigami and Shino Academy students making their way to their final destinations. Byakuya walked around until the crowd began to dissipate. A brief surge of her reiatsu flowed from the academy entrance, which he wasn't too far away from. Keeping his stoic expression, he clenched his fists slightly. All kinds of thoughts ran through his head. Why did she come past the manor? Was it to challenge his authority? To mock him for not being able to retaliate instantly? Or was it an attempt to put unnecessary strain on his already hectic life?

With those thoughts, he managed to make his way closer to the academy entrance. The last of the students had started to enter the academy grounds. While glancing inside the gate, he saw that all too familiar blue ponytail swaying side to side. Moments later, his cold eyes met her fear stricken ones. Giving her one last callous glare, he quickly flash stepped his way to his division, leaving Miyako to panic about what else could go wrong for the rest of her day.

Minutes later, Byakuya had arrived at his division and walked up to his office where he took a small breather in his chair.

_'Whatever the reason is for her offense, I shouldn't bother myself with her and her shenanigans. All of that is in the past and it will not be a part of my future.'_

With that thought, Byakuya's soul smiled when he saw the steaming hot cup of fresh green tea on his desk, its fresh aroma brought a well needed wave of peace. While indulging in his peaceful tea time, a knock interrupted the moment. He glared at the door. _'I should've known that this wouldn't last for more than a moment…'_

"Come in." he commanded.

Renji let himself in with a smile. "Good morning Captain Kuchiki! How are you today?"

Byakuya took another sip of tea before answering. "I'm doing well as usual and yourself? Are you prepared for another hard day's work?"

Renji nodded. "Yes, sir! I rested well last night, especially when I took a nice walk! Did you see the crescent moon last night? I thought that it was really—" His words were cut off when he heard the ceramic cup shatter into pieces. The hot tea didn't phase the captain's pale hand, nor did he manage to cut himself. The green liquid spread all over the desk, threatening to fall over the edge ready to make friends with the hardwood floor. Renji's small irises were almost invisible when he saw Byakuya's rage fueled glare.

"Nice..." he finished. To say that Renji was scared was an understatement. He'd never seen his captain lose his cool in such a manner like this before; Byakuya seemed too refined to shatter anything but bones and hollow masks with Senbonzakura. An anxious silence filled the room; it was damn near suffocating. Renji didn't know what to say.

"Captain Kuchiki—"

"Get out."

"But Captain—"

Byakuya shifted his glare from the wall to Renji's shocked face. "Talk about something else or get out and get to work!"

Renji swallowed hard and straightened up. "I-I'll go grab something to clean this mess. You also have just received a letter from the academy." he replied before fishing a letter from his robe. "Please read it as soon as possible. They said that it was urgent."

If looks could set things aflame, Byakuya's would've turned the offending letter into ash instantly. He quickly brought himself back to reality and took the letter from Renji. He was secretly furious at himself for losing control in front of his subordinate.

"After you retrieve a towel, you can go and continue the training from yesterday." he replied in his normal tone.

Renji noticed his quick change in demeanor, but he didn't want to question it.

"Yes, captain. I'll be right back!"

With those words, Renji left as quickly as he could. Looking down at his soiled desk, Byakuya sighed in frustration before focusing his attention back at the beige letter.

 _'Now what could this be about?'_ he wondered.

\-------------------

Behind her calm and refined facade, Miyako spent the morning in perpetual panic. After seeing Byakuya stare her down earlier, her mind was racing at the possibility of seeing him after classes were over for the day. The usual day at the academy consisted of each of the four skill set classes, which were an hour and forty-five minutes long each. Everyone had an hour and fifteen minute lunch before resuming for the last half of the day. Usually Miyako had training with Soifon four times a week and today's session was canceled for reasons unknown to her.

But that wasn't on her mind at the moment.

Lunch had finally arrived with the noon sun. Miyako sat alone at a table in the academy cafeteria. She pushed her food tray aside, laid her head down on the wooden table and groaned in agony. She heard voices nearby gossiping about her, but she was too frustrated to even care about the nasty things that was being said.

"HEY MIYA!" Rumi shouted while slamming her tray on the table. Miyako shrieked and almost jumped out of her seat.

"Dammit Rumi, stop that!" she yelled.

Rumi brushed off Miyako's hostility and sat down. "What was up with you today? You almost failed the kido practical! Ms. Kubota looked as if she was very irritated with you."

Miyako groaned as she thought about the practical.

"Yes, Miyako...I have the say that I was little bit surprised myself." a soft voice chimed in.

Another female student joined them at the table. Her long, straight raven hair, pale skin and big lavender eyes gave her a delicate and meek appearance, but she was anything but that. She proved to be a deceiving little flower. Her skills in kido and swordsmanship was nothing to sneeze at.

"Must you chime in about my less than stellar performance as well, Shirayuki?" Miyako moaned. "I truly don't want to relive my shame!"

"I think that 'shame' is too strong of a word…" Rumi replied. "It's more like a 'mess up'..."

"Or a 'blunder'…" Shirayuki added.

Miyako's pupils thinned to that of a cats eyes. "Whether it's a 'mess up' or a 'blunder', I don't want to talk about it anymore!" she hissed. "Can we please direct our conversation away from Ms. Kubota's practical?"

Her harsh tone simply bounced off of Rumi, who rolled her green eyes before she picked up a strawberry and handed it to Miyako.

"Okay, Princess Ichigo," she replied with a sigh. "Take this and chill out."

Miyako tried to glare at her, but her walls quickly came crashing down. She couldn't resist a strawberry offering; they were her absolute favorite fruit. Miyako quietly took the big vibrant red fruits from her friend's bowl and took a bite, its sweet juices sending her taste buds into euphoria. The other two girls also took a bite from their portions and smiled; the academy provided very tasty meals.

"So get this!" Rumi spoke up. "I was walking by the teacher's lounge on my way here and overheard them talking! I heard that there will be an assembly today. What do you think that's all about?"

After taking a bite of her grilled mackerel, Shirayuki gave a thoughtful expression. "I'm not sure. If we're having an assembly, I'm sure that it's something important. We haven't had an assembly since our entrance orientation."

"Maybe it's about a special project or mission? Maybe like training in the World of the Living?" Rumi suggested. "If so, I'm so ready to go!"

"Or maybe it's about the upcoming graduation?" Shirayuki added. "What do you think, Miyako?"

The two couldn't help but chuckle as Miyako was happily eating all of the strawberries that Rumi had given her. "I'm not pressed to know. I'm just enjoying my delicious lunch. I suggest that you'd do the same!"

"You're not the least bit curious about this?" Rumi asked. "It could be life changing! I can feel it!"

"Life changing or not, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. I'm sure it's not that important." Miyako calmly replied.

Rumi shrugged off Miyako's indifference and started to eat as well. "Okay. Whatever floats your boat."

Shirayuki declined to add anything to the conversation and continued to eat her lunch.

The lunch hall was filled with chatter as everyone continued to relax and eat. Halfway into lunch, the head instructors of the academy waltzed in, their commanding spiritual reiatsu catching everyone's attention. With that, everyone quickly stopped eating as the faculty circled the room, clearly looking for certain familiar faces.

The one known as Kubota, the kido instructor, walked around with an aloof smile on her face as she had a handful of letters in her hand. The short middle aged woman walked over to the trio's table and smiled. While they all gave the mid aged woman a smile in return, Miyako was secretly panicking inside.

 _'Is she here for me? I hope not!'_ she wondered. _'It would be dreadful if my performance was reported back to mother, father and Soifon!'_

"Good afternoon, young ladies." she greeted.

"Good afternoon Ms. Kubota." they all replied in unison.

She handed them all white envelopes with their names written elegantly on them. "These are for you all. Please take care to read them at your earliest convenience. Good day."

Leaving them to wonder what had just happened, the nauseating feeling that Miyako had when the instructor arrived had been replaced with dread as she stared at the white envelope.

 _'Something about this letter feels unpleasant…'_ she thought.

She quickly, but reluctantly readied herself to read the letter. She wouldn't dare not follow Ms. Kubota's instructions, especially after her near failure from earlier.

_Miyako Shihouin,_

_Due to your high performance during your time at the Shino Academy, you've been selected to participate in a new curriculum. Please attend today's assembly that will take place in Haru Hall in placement of your third class._

_The Shino Academy Administration Team_

' _A new curriculum?'_

"What did your letters say, you two?" Rumi asked, breaking Miyako out of her thoughts. They all gathered around to read each other's letters.

"They all say the same thing." Shirayuki pointed out. "I wonder what this new curriculum is? Isn't it too late to change it? We're almost nearing graduation..."

"This might be what I overheard the faculty talking about!" Rumi exclaimed excitedly. "World of the Living here we come!"

"You can't assume that this new curriculum involves training in the World of the Living just because that's what you desire to do the most, Rumi." Shirayuki replied.

While the two girls continued to discuss the upcoming assembly, Miyako remained quiet as she stared at the letter once again, their chatter now muffled from her ears. To say that her stomach was in knots was an understatement.

_'Why do I feel like this is the beginning of something unfortunate?'_


	7. Noble Misfortune

After cleaning his desk of his man made green tea lake, Byakuya read the letter from the academy. He glared at the letter once more. How could he forget that he was supposed to gather at the academy after his scheduled lunch? Usually things like appointments barely slipped past him. He prided himself of being a very diligent and responsible man. Miyako's golden eyes quickly flashed in his mind, prompting him to almost crush the letter. A growl escaped his lips.

_'I did it again…I almost lost control.'_

The only thing that made him feel a little better was that no one was there to witness another one of his episodes. He attempted to straighten the semi crumbled letter and placed it beside his small stack of documents. After grabbing a brush and inkwell, he shifted his focus over to the first page of his paperwork. Afterwards, he would make his rounds to check on the progression of his member's training exercises. It served as a distraction from the thought of the possibility of encountering Miyako once more.

\----------------

The sound of a bell reverberated throughout the campus. The time had finally arrived for the eagerly anticipated assembly. Sounds of footsteps echoed in the hallway as Miyako, Rumi and Shirayuki along with other students walked towards Haru Hall.

"Finally it's time to see what the big fuss is about!" Rumi excitedly exclaimed.

"I have to admit that I've been looking forward to this event as well. The mystery of it all makes it very exciting!"

The two turned around to glance at Miyako, who was trailing behind them in a not so eager stride. _'Well forgive me for not sharing in the anticipation…'_

As the other chosen students continued to chatter amongst themselves, Miyako's stomach grew more uneasy with each step. They quickly entered the massive hall through the large wooden doors. The heavy steps echoed throughout the hall seemed to be mute to Miyako's ears as walked to the towards the stage. The trio found their seats in the third row. A self-inflicted sharp pinch to the arm quickly snapped herself out of her trance, forcing her to return to reality. With a deep breath, she was ready to partake in the assembly.

Soon, the sound of the doors closing shut echoed throughout the room; the last of the students had taken their seats. The sound of the chatter quickly faded away as the head instructors walked onto the stage. Lined up in a single file line, Kubota had stepped forward.

"Thank you all for gathering here today." she greeted with a smile.

Everyone waited eagerly for her to continue.

"As you all know, your final semester is quickly coming to a close. We are proud all of our future graduates, but this is not why we all have called you all here. This year, the administration has decided to alter the senior course in order to make it more beneficial. You all have been selected to be the first to participate in this alternate course."

Everyone blinked in wonder of what the elderly woman meant by her words. She peeked over her shoulder for a moment. "You all can enter."

Miyako's face grew pale once the group of guests had gathered on the stage; all of the captains had graced them all with their presence, their reiatsu filling the room. Whispers could be heard momentarily as they stood behind the instructors.

"I'm sure that you all are very familiar with our distinguished captains and you all are wondering why they're our honored guests." she continued with a smile. "The captains have been gracious enough to participate in a new initiative with the academy. We have all agreed that the shinigami in training need extensive guidance and training, hence our new internship program."

Gasps filled the room at the news.

"After examining everyone in their studies, we have all assigned you to the division that would be most beneficial for your training."

Another professor, known as Tanno, walked towards Kubota with a pile of envelopes in his arms. She waited for him to place the envelopes on the wooden table beside her to continue.

"Your assignment is written in these envelopes. Once I call you, please come to retrieve your information and introduce yourself to your assigned captain in Natsu Hall after the assembly is over. They will advise you in your next steps. Please know that your progress during this time will be a heavy factor in whether you pass or fail. I suggest that you all work hard."

Of course, with those words, they sent shivers down some student's spines.

"We wish you all the best of luck with your internships; learn all that you can while the opportunity exists. Now we'll begin distributing assignments."

Everyone waited with baited breath for their names to be called. Finally, it was time for the trio to receive their assignments. After receiving their envelopes, they fled to the courtyard to read their letters.

"Okay guys, at the count of three, let's open our letters together!" Rumi commanded. Shirayuki replied with a nod and a smile. "Okay!" Miyako replied. _'I'm pretty sure that I'll be with Soifon since I'll eventually become the next captain, so this shouldn't be exciting for me.'_

"Alrighty! One...two...three!"

The three students opened their notes and began to read them intensely.

"This is SO awesome!" Rumi exclaimed. "I get to train under the tenth division! I hope that I get to work a lot with Lieutenant Matsumoto! She's my idol!"

"Well, I'm pleased to say that I'm also satisfied with my placement. It's an honor to work under Captain Unohana's direction!"

The two turned towards Miyako with curious eyes. Those curious eyes quickly widened when they observed Miyako's shaking hands and pale skin.

"Miyako dear, what's the matter?" Shirayuki asked. "Was your placement not to your liking? Did you not get assigned to the second division?"

"Yeah! Is it really that bad?" Rumi asked curiously. "Did you get placed in with Captain Zaraki? Or worse? Captain Kurotsuchi?"

Of course, her day couldn't get any worse—her good luck had clearly taken a vacation and hired a horrible and cruel replacement. She had to tap into her refined training to prevent herself from showing any degree of distress. The captain's name was as clear as day.

_'No...'_

"I've been assigned to Captain Kuchiki's division…" she answered, trying to hide her discomfort.

"Captain Kuchiki? That's not too bad of a placement, Miya! You both are nobles, so it's not hard to find anything that you two don't have in common."

Miyako tired her best to agree with that statement.

"Yes, you're right...I'm sure we'll have a lot in common, but I'm sure that he won't show favoritism towards me just because of that."

_'Especially since I accidentally assaulted him the other day...I haven't had a chance to apologize either...this is going to be a disaster!'_

While Miyako was lost in thought, Rumi had a feeling that too much time had passed by.

"Come on, girls! We better head on to Natsu Hall before we get scolded." Rumi said, tucking her assignment into her shirt.

"Yes, we wouldn't want to make a bad impression before we start."

Snapping out of her thoughts, Miyako nodded in reply before following behind her friends. When they entered into Natsu Hall, they sighed in relief once they realized that they weren't the last ones to arrive.

"I wish you ladies the best of luck!" Shirayuki said. "Ta-ta for now."

Miyako smiled and waved as her friends left her to join their groups. Her smile disappeared when she looked around and saw the the tips of Byakuya's famous hairpiece at the top of the crowd. With a heavy sigh, she started to make her way to her group and hoped for the best.

"I see that everyone has finally arrived." he stated sharply, eyeing her from the corner of his eyes. His icy tone sent a shiver up her spine; it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who he was directing his statement towards.

"I suggest that you all take heed in knowing that tardiness is unacceptable in my division. Rule breakers are not tolerated in the Sixth Division. I will make certain that members caught breaking the rules will be strictly punished. Is that clear?"

Miyako shivered again. _'...dammit…this is like a stab in the back!'_

"Sir, yes sir!" they all replied.

"Also, I encourage you all to always use proper greetings as this is the first foundation of a relationship; you will build many of those throughout your lifetime." he continued, taking his eyes off of her.

"You will report to the barracks in the morning. Before that, you will need to obtain your own shinigami uniform and a trainee sash to wear around your arm during your internship. Robes will be handed out at the back of the hall."

Everyone had looked over to see their fellow classmates retrieving their clothes; the excitement clear on their faces.

"I expect you all to work hard, so take this time to prepare for tomorrow. You're all dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" they all replied, bowing deeply. Soon, they all dispersed away from Byakuya, leaving Miyako alone. With worried eyes, she looked over to her old childhood friend. She gave him a small smile, but she got another icy glare in return before he quickly made his leave. Alone, Miyako pursed her lips in defeat as she watch him leave.

_'Well this internship will be just...delightful…'_


	8. Rumination

The Soul Society was graced with another bright, sunny morning; her room filled with warm sunshine.

Miyako stared into the mirror as she tied her white obi into a knot. She always looked forward to the time when she would be officially don the famous and highly sought after shinigami robe, but this wasn't how she thought she would feel. Excitement and anticipation was replaced with apprehension towards working with Byakuya.

_'I can't believe that I'm stuck with him for the next three months!'_

Miyako tied her hair into a ponytail with a red ribbon before checking her robe one more time in the mirror. The last item, the trainee sash, was the last thing she had to put on.

 _'Everything seems to be in order…'_ she thought.

She let out a sigh; one mixed with anxiety and anger. She owed her internship placement to two certain people that she wasn't too happy with.

\----------------------

Miyako's rushed footsteps filled the hallway of the Shihouin manor. The staff was quick to move out of her way as she reached the end of the corridor, all surprised at her behavior. What Ms. Kubota had reported to her had sent her into a furry.

"You were assigned into the sixth division at your parent's request. If you would like to know more, please discuss this with your family."

She huffed one more time before opening the shoji doors. "Mother! Father!" Miyako shouted. "What is the meaning of this?! Why did you request for my placement in the sixth division?!"

The heads of the Shihouin Clan looked up to their youngest daughter with sharp eyes, eyes that almost rivaled the cold stare of Byakuya.

"You watch your tone with us, young lady!" her father hissed.

Miyako's throat tightened. "I apologize for my tone, mother, father." She pursed her lips as she tried to calm down. She quickly shut the door and stepped forward.

"I'm here to discuss why I was placed into the Sixth Division. I was told by my instructor that I was placed there at your request and I don't understand why."

"What do you mean that you don't understand?" her mother chimed. "You're training with Soifon. Surely in our line of work, you should be able to connect the dots."

A discontented sigh quickly escaped her lips. "That's exactly my point! I'm not connecting the dots and I don't understand! If I'm supposed to be the next captain, then why am I not with her? During this time I could train more intensively without worrying about my studies."

"Well, what's the matter with learning from another captain? Especially an esteemed captain with noble prestige?"

Miyako stiffened.

"What…? Is that what this is about..? Noble prestige..?"

Her father took a sip of tea. "We thought that you will have plenty of time to train with Soifon. You need to learn as much as possible before assuming your next role as captain. Having Captain Kuchiki as an alternative mentor is a great opportunity for you to grow."

Her mind went silent, her body froze.

"Besides, out of all of the captains besides Soifon, Unohana and Ukitake, he is the most dignified and skilled...let alone very well respected. No other captain is suitable to be your supplemental mentor." her father continued.

_'A great opportunity to grow...nobility? What a farce! What have I done to deserve this placement?'_

After mulling in her despair, her aristocratic demeanor kicked in. Her lips transformed into a small smile; she flashed them a content smile before bowing.

"I understand, mother, father. I thank you both for your wisdom. I'm sure that I'll learn many great things from Captain Kuchiki."

Rising from her bow, her eyes remained shut. "Excuse me while I take my leave to prepare for my internship."

Turning on her toes, she quickly exited the room, careful not to slam the door shut. She dare not let her parents hear her angry footsteps.

Occupying her room once more, she slammed the door shut and made a beeline for her closet. She carefully removed a wooden floorboard, reaching deep into the hidden compartment. Miyako smiled when she pulled out a golden incense burner; it was ironically shaped like a cat. She was grateful for little knick knacks like this at times such as this—she would have to remember to thank Kisuke again for this.

Exiting the closet, she opened her window and concentrated on the burner. A small amount of her white reiatsu filled the burner, its eyes glowed intensely and smoke emitted from its mouth.

_'Yoruichi, I need you! Please come and see me!'_

With those thoughts, she blew the smoke away into the air and watched it fly away hurriedly. She made sure to put her burner back in place before she left the manor unnoticed.

\----------------------

Miyako quickly arrived in the second division's courtyard, surprising Soifon.

"Miya!" Soifon exclaimed as she turned to her mentee. "What are you doing here? I told you that there wouldn't be any training today."

"I know…" she replied, clearly frustrated. Soifon was quick to notice her sullen mood. Before she could inquire about it, Yoruichi quickly appeared before them, putting a smile on Miyako's face and a look of surprise on Soifon's.

"Sister!"

"Lady Yoruichi!"

Miyako quickly embraced her sister, who returned with a loving one.

"What do we owe the pleasure of your presence, Lady Yoruichi? Is there something that you need our assistance with?"

"...I summoned her here…" Miyako replied quietly. "I need to speak with the both of you...can we move to Soifon's quarters for a bit?"

Not questioning her, they nodded before flash stepping away.

\----------------------

"YOU ATTACKED CAPTAIN KUCHIKI?!" Soifon screamed, making Miyako cringe. "You're aware that doing that is on the level of treason!"

"Soifon! Not so loud!" Yoruichi scolded.

"I apologize Lady Yoruichi."

"I didn't attack him intentionally…" she replied. "He startled me while I was training and it was a reflex...I mean, what if it was a hollow instead of him?"

"You would've known that it was a hollow by its spiritual pressure!"

"I know...but Byakuya hid his really well...I didn't know it was him until after I attacked him and saw his face in the moonlight…"

Soifon sighed heavily while Yoruichi seemed to be quite amused, confusing Miyako and Soifon.

"Come on, Yoruichi...why are you laughing at my pain? This is serious...and mother and father had me assigned to his division for my internship! With what has happened, this is like hell for me! You know that he doesn't see us in the best light since we always visited him and always gave him a hard time..."

Yoruichi chuckled. "Well he didn't _have_ to be nosy and spy on your private training session. He had it coming for startling you; it was a natural reaction."

"That still doesn't solve my problem!" Miyako huffed. "I have to train under him!"

"Well the good thing is that he hasn't reported your offense to the head captain. You would've been arrested by now." Soifon replied.

The two sisters nodded in agreement. "Maybe his lack of retaliation means that he knows that you didn't mean any harm?" Yoruichi said.

"Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that he's been snubbing me ever since…"

"Captain Kuchiki snubs everyone." Soifon replied.

"Not in the manner that he's been snubbing me!" Miyako quickly retorted. "You should've see the way he's been looking at me whenever I look at him...his eyes are full of disdain…"

Miyako stared at her somber reflection in her tea. "All I want to do is apologize to him…"

Yoruichi laid an assuring hand on Miyako's shoulder. "You'll be fine. Just apologize whenever you can and focus on passing this internship. Byakuya will move on from this, as usual."

Soifon nodded. "I agree with Lady Yoruichi. Just do your best and still come for your training sessions afterwards."

"Yes ma'am."

Miyako finished her tea before giving them both a hug. "Thank you both for speaking with me...and thank you again for coming to see me so suddenly, Yoruichi."

Yoruichi gave her the affectionate hugs that grew to love. "You know that I'll always be here to help you."

Releasing them both, she gave them another smile before opening the door. "I'm going to go and prepare for tomorrow. Goodbye!" she said before flash stepping away, leaving them both.

After they waved at her fleeting form, Soifon turned to Yoruichi. "Do you think that she'll be okay? This is Captain Kuchiki she's dealing with…"

"I think that she'll be fine, Soifon. Miya is a hardworking and warm young woman."

Yoruichi took a sip of tea. "Who knows? Maybe she'll be able to get him to pull that stick out of his ass?"

After giving it some thought, Soifon followed suit and took a sip of tea as well. "Maybe…"


	9. Resistance

A restful night of sleep was something that eluded Byakuya. He worked in the barracks late yet again to prepare for his new interns. He glanced through their files, he seemed to be fairly impressed by his selected group; all except for his old childhood acquaintance—the whole situation mocked him. He quickly tossed the files into a drawer and excused himself from work for the night.

After attempting to sleep and getting dressed, he even skipped breakfast in favor of visiting Hisana’s memorial. As he stared into his late beloved’s picture, a heavy sigh escaped his lips.  
“What did I do to deserve this stroke of unfortunate luck? Please give me strength today, my love.”

Staring at it a few minutes longer, he bid her farewell. He knew today was going to be a long one.

 

\---------------------

The Seireitei was bustling as usual, and this time it was filled with excited interns ready for their first day of work. Miyako stood at the Sixth Division Gate as her classmates and coworkers passed her by. She could feel Byakuya’s spiritual pressure inside. She had to cup her hands to stop herself from shaking. She tried to summon the confidence she had when she talked with Soifon and Yoruichi and let out a big sigh.  
‘Well...it’s time to get this over with.’ All she could do was pray for a good day.

*

Inside, everyone had gathered in the inner courtyard, interns and members alike. Renji stood alone at the front of the group. Everyone quieted down and waited for Renji to speak.

“Good morning everyone! As you can see, we have some new faces among us—interns from the academy. They’ll be with us for three months until they graduate. It’s our job to make sure that they learn as much as possible! Make sure to treat them kindly!”

“Sir, yes sir!” the members replied in unison.

Renji grinned. He loved being in charge.

“Now I’ll have our interns introduce themselves and have a friendly spar with the division members to assess their abilities. The use kido will be permitted and you can use shikai if you’ve learned it. Afterwards, we’ll have a tour of the barracks and a small meet and greet. Sound good?”

Everyone clapped in response. _‘So far, so good…’_ she thought. _‘But where is Byakuya?’_

Her thoughts were pushed to the side as she looked back at Renji. He pointed to an intern in the front. “You there! We’ll start with you! Introduce yourself!”

The brunette boy nodded. “Yes sir!”

The brunette boy stood up to introduce himself and set the stage for the other interns until they reached the last three people. A tall man with pale skin, short spiky black hair and slate blue eyes walked to the front of the group. After bowing, he sported a pleasant smile.

“It’s a pleasure to be a part of this group. My name is Isshiki Matsushita.”

Next a voluptuous woman took her place after Isshiki. Her long maroon hair hugged her frame as she bowed with a pompous smile on her face, making the men red in the face. “My name is Rika Omaeda of the Omaeda clan. Pleased to meet your acquaintance.”

Miyako rolled her eyes as Rika introduced herself. She never really cared for the woman’s highfalutin attitude. To make matters worse, she was Lieutenant Omaeda’s niece. She would always weasel her way into the squad’s barracks and do whatever she wanted whenever she could, using her uncle and family name as a bargaining chip.

Miyako wanted to vomit. _‘I was so absorbed in thinking about Byakuya at the group gathering yesterday that I didn’t even notice that she was in my group! Could this internship get any worse?’_

“Next we have one last intern.” Renji announced, snapping her out of her thoughts. Miyako quickly moved to the front and bowed. “I’m Miyako Shihouin. It’s an honor to work with you all.”

She could feel the stares on her—she was a dead ringer for Yoruichi minus the hair color. The Shihouin name carried a lot of weight in the Soul Society.

“Great! Thank you all for introducing yourselves! Next, we’ll start with our friendly sparring session.”

The two groups separated and watched as Renji called members to fight. Renji and the others weren’t disappointed with the fights so far. “Next Yosuke will spar with Isshiki!” Renji said.

Isshiki and his opponent gathered in front of the crowd and drew their swords. After Renji commanded them to begin, they rushed for each other. After a few minutes, they both released their shikai, Isshiki drawing praise as he used his powerful earth-like zanpakuto, Iwa no Haku. It had the ability to encase its target in a rock tomb, blocking spiritual exertion and turning it back on its target.

Next, Rika impressed with her wind type zanpakuto, Kyoufuu no Fan. Her shikai transformed into two razor sharp maroon fans that were connected by a long, thin silver chain that has the ability to create tornado force winds that could cut through its target. She bowed as everyone clapped when she was finished.

“Last but not least, Miyako Shihouin! You’re next to spar with Yukio! Afterwards, we’ll be taking you all on a tour of the barracks!”

Miyako nodded. “Okay!”

She took her place and drew her sword against her opponent. Following in the footsteps of Isshiki, she spared without her shikai. After observing that her opponent was starting to fight harder, she decided to match them. Pushing Yukio away, she readied herself. “Drag them under, Una—”

She stopped when she felt Byakuya’s reiatsu flare up momentarily very close by. Looking to her left, she saw him standing next to Renji, quietly observing with his usual glare. _‘When did he get here?!’_

Before she could think any further, she found herself being knocked backwards, hitting the ground. Byakuya narrowed his eyes as Renji stepped forward. “Okay, that’s enough!”

Miyako rubbed her throbbing shoulder and glared at the captain. _‘That reiatsu flare...he did that on purpose!’_

“You had a rough fall.”

Miyako looked up to find Isshiki standing above her with an extended hand, which she gladly accepted. “Yes...but it was my fault that I was careless. I should’ve been more focused.”

“Would you mind me asking why you were so distracted? You’re usually the complete opposite in class.”

“Um...I was just nervous about performing, especially in front of the captain and lieutenant.” she lied.

Isshiki nodded. “I understand. I apologize that you had to endure that just now.”

“It’s not your fault, Isshiki, but thank you for helping me.” she replied with a smile.

“You’re quite welcome.” he replied with a smile. “I hope that the rest of the day treats you better and you’ll regain your confidence. It’s one of the things that I admire about you.”

She was quick to blush at his sudden compliment. Soon they realized that they were the only ones left in the courtyard. The rest of the group was on the other end.

“We should get going before we’re completely left behind.” Miyako nodded and the two left to join the rest of the group.

\-----------------

An hour later, they had toured around the barracks. Renji and Byakuya led everyone back to the courtyard for their meet and greet. While they were touring, the members had lightly decorated the courtyard for a small party.

“Please enjoy these light refreshments to celebrate the beginning of your internship.” Byakuya said. “I expect the best from all of you.” he continued, giving Miyako another glare. _‘Another jab at me I see…’_

Everyone looked to find a generous amount of the highest quality green tea, mochi, fresh fruit, vegetables, sashimi and assorted appetizers. They didn’t waste any time in partaking in the food.

Miyako was the only one that didn’t run for the food. She was flustered once again as she cupped her face in her hands. _‘This is so frustrating! How could I make so many mistakes with him all at once?!_

_It doesn’t help that he keeps glaring at me!’_

She snapped out of her thoughts when felt a hot, wet stinging pain on her shoulder.

“Oh Miyako!” a familiar voice called out. “Did I do that? I’m so sorry! You have to forgive me!”

She narrowed her eyes at the woman and her now half empty cup of green tea.

“What a surprise! We happened to end up in the same group! How...delightful!”

Miyako resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew that her words were anything but friendly and apologetic.

“Hello to you too, Rika.”

“What’s with the humdrum attitude? Is it because you messed up in front of everyone, especially that handsome Captain Kuchiki?”

“You’re assumption is off the mark, Rika.”

_‘I’m more pissed off at your supposed ‘accidental’ tea spill, you damn hussy!’_

Rika scoffed. “If you say so, Miyako. I’m so happy that the professors thought that I was qualified to be an intern here! Now I can really impress Captain Kuchiki and then I’ll end up being next one to marry into the Kuchiki Clan! I’ll be the most envied woman in the Soul Society!”

Rika’s dreams were interrupted as Miyako burst into a fit of laughter.

“Do you have a problem with what I just said, Miyako?!” She huffed. “Or are you just jealous that I performed better than you earlier and had the chance to impress Captain Kuchiki and you didn’t?”

Miyako wiped tears from her eyes as she calmed down. She hadn’t had a laugh like that in quite a while.

“Jealousy has nothing to do with it. I just can’t get over the fact that you think that Bya- I mean, Captain Kuchiki would be impressed by someone like you.”

_’Especially a conniving bimbo such as yourself!’_

“He’s not very easily impressed by anyone or anything...especially women with attitudes like you.” she replied with narrowed eyes.

Rika barred her teeth and started to turn red in the face. “And you think that you know him enough to say things like that?!”

Her reaction gave Miyako joy. “You will _never_ ” she said, closing the gap between them “know him like _I_ know him.” she replied with a sly look in her eyes, smirk and all.

“How dare you say something like that! You are so infuriating, Miyako!” she growled through gnashed teeth.

“The feeling is mutual, Rika! Ta-ta for now!” she replied before walking away. She deserved a nice lunch.

\-----------------

The first day of everyone’s internship had finally came to a close right before sunset. They all bowed and bid Renji farewell. As everyone dispersed, Miyako searched for Byakuya’s reiatsu and made her way to his office. Her heartbeat grew louder with each step she took. Finally, she had reached his office; the door serving as a barrier between them. She nervously ran her fingers through her hair and dusted her robe of any dirt in an attempt to look presentable. Another nervous sigh later, she reached across to knock. He spoke before her hand reached the door.

“What do you want?” his voice asked dryly, causing her cringe.

"Pardon my interruption Bya- I mean Captain. May I have a word?”

She was met with an awkward pause.

“I don’t have time to meet with you. I’m very busy.”

Her nervousness quickly flared into anger. _‘That damn jerk! He’s as stubborn as ever! I should’ve known that I was going to be met with some resistance!’_

She couldn’t take his rejection for an answer. She quickly whipped the door open and let herself in. Byakuya glared at her as she shut the door.

“You obviously have no respect for authority. I shouldn’t be surprised, especially after what you did to me the other night.”

She walked up to his desk and look him in the eye. “I didn’t even know that it was you! You had startled me!”

“You should’ve had your guard up and had been aware of your surroundings, as you should be at all times.”

“You’re one to talk!” she replied as she slammed her hands onto his desk. “You went and startled me and almost got shot by my kido! You shouldn’t have been so preoccupied while watching me!”

Byakuya hated that she was right. He did find her training that night mesmerizing. “Why were you spying on me in the first place?!”

He furrowed his eyebrows and stood up quickly. It was his turn to get angry. “I _wasn’t_ spying on you! I thought that you were Rukia after I felt your reiatsu!”

Miyako scoffed. “Oh _that’s rich_ , Byakuya! That’s a terrible excuse! There’s no way that our reiatsu is alike! Just tell the truth!”

“That’s _Captain Kuchiki_ to you, _Shihouin!_ ” he spat back. “I suggest that you remember the difference in our rank!”

“I’m off duty so I don’t need to address you in that manner, _Byakuya!_ Our ranks mean nothing to me!”

“You had no problem addressing me as such before you let yourself in!”

“That’s because I was trying to get on your good side before coming in! All I came here for was to apologize to you and you turn this into a ridiculous tit for tat argument without hearing me out! And I know that you purposefully flared your reiatsu during my sparring match to distract and embarrass me! I can't believe you did that! You’re so childish!”

“What did you just say?!” he asked with narrowed eyes.

“You heard me you jerk! You’re a childish brat and a snobby one at that!”

“And this is coming from the same child that used to cause me grief with her sister whenever she could?!”

Miyako slammed her hands on the table again, louder this time. “I’m not a child!” she yelled, her reiatsu flaring up. The two remained silent as he rose his as well, the two having their eyes locked on each other fiercely. The building started to shake violently. Soon, cracks started forming in the walls. Once they heard the cracking, they both stopped exerting their reiatsu, but never took their eyes off of each other. 

She glared at him once more before walking away. She look back at him with a fire in her eyes.

“I’ll make you regret calling me a child. And I’m not paying for your repairs, either.” she said quietly before letting herself out. She closed the door with an audible slam.

Byakuya could feel her reiatsu moving further and further away. He looked around his office; their little battle left his papers strewn all over the floor and knocked his tea cup over. This was going to be a long three months and this was just day one.


	10. Notice Me

He felt her reiatsu coming a mile away. 

Byakuya narrowed his eyes as he clenched his pen. He didn’t know why he was so irritable; he knew that this was bound to happen sooner or later, especially now that she was magically under his guidance and supervision. In what seemed like seconds to him, she was outside his door. He let out a heavy sigh.

“What do you want?” his voice asked dryly. He was not in the mood to deal with her, despite him trying to keep calm.

And those four words were the start of an inevitable debacle. She had the nerve to let herself in—strike one.

“I don’t have time to meet with you. I’m very busy.” he replied sharply. 

He had to fill out progress reports for the interns. He didn’t plan on giving vague reports. His blood pressure rose when she quickly whipped the door open and let herself in, earning herself another icy glare as she shut the door. _‘I should’ve known that she wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer…’_

“You obviously have no respect for authority. I shouldn’t be surprised, especially after what you did to me the other night.” He would never forget her assault and he was going to make her feel the repercussions as much as he could; he felt like she deserved it. She walked up to his desk and look him in the eye. This was the first time he had the chance to truly see her up close. No longer was she the short, petite girl that he remembered; she was now a grown woman with grown woman assets. She had grown into what men would deem attractive with a voluptuous pear shaped figure and long, slender legs, but that fell short on him.

Miyako followed with her own anger lined retort. She had the nerve to slam her hands on his desk and raise her voice at him, turning the blame on him. Why did she have to be so loud and unrefined?

“I didn’t even know that it was you! You had startled me!”

_‘That’s ridiculous.’_ he thought. _‘You should have known that I wasn’t a threat.’_

She had the nerve to call him a liar, accuse him of stalking and address him without the proper honorifics—strike two. 

“Why were you spying on me in the first place?!” He furrowed his eyebrows and stood up quickly. She dared to accuse him of wrongdoing? Her of all people?!

“I wasn’t spying on you! I thought that you were Rukia after I felt your reiatsu!”

Miyako scoffed. “Oh that’s rich, Byakuya! That’s a terrible excuse! There’s no way that our reiatsu is alike! Just tell the truth!”

_‘Now she’s calling me a liar? That cheeky little...’_

“That’s Captain Kuchiki to you, Shihouin!” he spat back. “I suggest that you remember the difference in our rank!”

“I’m off duty so I don’t need to address you in that manner, Byakuya! Our ranks mean nothing to me!”

Even worse, she had the nerve to call him, the esteemed noble captain of the sixth division, childish. That word sent him into a fury—strike three.

Their heated exchange of words quickly sparked a reiatsu charged angry stare showdown, which ended with a bold promise made by the princess before she left herself out. He was left alone in his office once more, the room littered with papers and cracked walls. He couldn’t help but narrow his eyes when she audaciously declared that she wasn’t going to repair the mess that she made, albeit that the damage could’ve been much worse. 

_She was challenging him and being defiant now—the fire in her eyes was undeniable. ‘How typical...and she had the audacity to call me the childish one?’_

He needed to recuperate as much as he could before tomorrow. He quickly tidied his office at left for the day. 

This was going to be a long three months and unfortunately for him, this was just day one. She really was infuriating.

\-------------------------------

Miyako let out a scream as she knocked her opponent to the ground, knocking his sword out of his hand. Everyone minus Rika and Byakuya, clapped as she put her sword away.

“Good job Miyako!” Renji shouted.

Once again, Byakuya and Renji had arranged for more sparring sessions, these less friendlier than before. Byakuya stood to the side, recording everyone’s progress as usual. Miyako wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled.

“Thank you, Lieutenant Abarai.” she replied with a content smile.

It had been one month since she and Byakuya had their little spat. Ever since then, she increased her training in order to show her improvement to Byakuya—the daily training sessions with Soifon after work, personal training after working with Soifon and killing as many hollows as she could find. The aches, pain and sleepless nights were paying off. She was sure that pushing herself to her limit would make her crash and burn eventually, but she was too determined in proving Byakuya wrong. Shoving her progress down his arrogant throat gave her too much joy. The continuous scowls and glares she received from him was akin to receiving experience points—and she knew that he couldn’t deny her improvement.

Miyako was now the complete opposite of how she was on the first day, but she blamed it on his unnecessary reiatsu flare being a distraction from her fight. Now she was full of fire and confidence. Every time she managed to shine during training drills, she gave Byakuya a sly stare, one that she knew would get under his skin. In typical Byakuya fashion, he brushed it off and kept his mouth shut while his lieutenant did the opposite. Needless to say, he grew tired of Renji praising and talking about her so often in his presence. He could’ve talked about other impressive students, such as Rika, Isshiki and a few others, but they didn’t compare to the Shihouin princess.

Renji looked over to Byakuya, who have him an affirming nod.

“Okay interns! That’s it for the day! You’re dismissed.”

“Sir, yes sir!” they replied in unison.

Most of the group quickly headed towards the corridor that lead to the front gate with Byakuya and Renji at the forefront, leaving Miyako behind as she caught her breath. Miyako focused on Byakuya. Seeing his retreating form getting smaller, her proud smile slowly fell and so did her mood. Although she knew that she was slowly getting under his skin, being fed his uninterested, emotionless face everyday was starting to bother her. Another one of his signature moves, his back to her face, was just as cold as his stare. Miyako clenched her fists.

_‘Why won’t he notice me?’_ was the thought that was starting to take over her mind. _‘He would eventually have to notice me, right? Has he really grown that cold over the years or is he trying to win ‘the biggest jerk alive’ award? He’s the most aggravating man I’ve ever met!’_

Soon, she could feel his reiatsu locked away in his office. Letting out a sigh, Miyako tried to push that invasive thought out of her mind. She noticed that she was sweaty and was starting to smell a little unpleasant. It was definitely time for a hot shower. Remembering that she had somewhere to be, she started to make her way to the exit. She didn’t get too far down the corridor when she heard someone call her name.

“Hey Miyako!” Rika shouted as Miyako was walking away. Miyako looked at Rika over her shoulder with an uninterested gaze. _‘Must she talk to me now? And just when I was on a roll...’_

Rika seemed to enjoy picking a fight with her at least twice a week.

“What is it, Rika?”

The busty woman waited until she caught up to her before speaking. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been working extra hard lately, especially in front of Captain Kuchiki! What’s up with that? Are you interested in him or something because I already told you that I have my eyes on him!”

Miyako rolled her eyes and rubbed her temple before turning around to face her. _‘Why does she insist on talking to me as if we’re friends? Especially about Byakuya?’_

“Are we really having this conversation right now?” she asked in disbelief.

“Don’t start acting uninterested! I see how you look at him!”

“And how do I look at him exactly?”

_‘Because there is no feeling of any love behind my smirks…’_

__

“You know exactly what I’m talking about! Those sly grins didn’t slip past me! You also don’t put in as much effort when it’s only Lieutenant Abarai around! Then you wanna flip the script when Captain Kuchiki is leading our drills! You’re not slick!! I see exactly what you’re doing! Don’t deny it!”

__

Rika turned red in the face as Miyako burst into another fit of laughter. “I’m getting tired of your condescending laughs, Miyako!”

__

“You’re one to talk and I’m getting tired of your...everything! What the hell is wrong with you?? I know that I’m a princess and that your family works for my clan, but that doesn’t mean you get to become my paparazzi! Get a life, Rika and please remember your place.”

__

Rika scoffed again. “You and I will be equals once Captain Kuchiki marries me! I know that he’s taking note of me as one of the top interns, maybe even the best!”

Rika’s ridiculous declarations were becoming less amusing every time she opened her mouth. She rolled her eyes. 

“Yeah, whatever you say Rika. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a dinner date to get to.” she replied before taking a few steps away from her.

__

“I’ve already told you before, he’s not going to look your way. If you want to keep smashing your head into a wall by trying to impress him, be my guest. Hopefully the trauma to your head will make you a little smarter. He’s not easily impressed by anything.”

__

“And you think that you’ll be able to impress him better than me?”

__

Miyako gave her another sly look, just like she did when they first started. “Like I said before...you will _never_ know him like _I_ know him nor open his eyes like I will.”

__

Pleased with her words, she left Rika before she could respond. She knew that the last statement would piss her so called rival off, but she didn’t know how heated she really was; the resentful eyes and fist sized hole she left in the corridor wall was evident enough.

__

\-------------------------

Swift steps pounded against the wooden floor as Miyako walked down the chatter filled corridor.

“Rumi! Shirayuki!” Miyako called out as she slid the brown shoji door open.

Her friends greeted her with wide smiles and waved. “Hey, hey!”

“Hello Miyako!”

The princess stepped into the private room and quickly gave her friends a big hug. “I’m so sorry that I’m late! I got caught up at the barracks with Rika and I had to run back to the dorm to freshen up.”

Rumi raised a brow. “Rika Omaeda? What did that snoot want?”

Shirayuki scooted over to let Miyako sit beside her. “Ugh! Everything! But we’ll talk about that later.” she replied as she sat on the comfy beige zabuton.

Miyako looked over the wooden table and saw black tea cups. “Did you both order yet?”

“No not yet, so you’re not late at all!” Rumi replied. “We’ve only been here for ten minutes.”

Miyako sighed. “Thank goodness! I can’t believe that we haven’t seen each other in weeks! I missed you both! It’s not the same without you!”

“I admit that I’ve missed you terribly as well. I’ve learned a lot healing techniques and Captain Unohana has hosted a lovely ikebana exhibit. Everyone is nice at my division, but they don’t compare to you two.” Shirayuki replied.

“Yeah, me too! The ladies are nice and Lieutenant Matsumoto is the best ever! We have the best drinking parties and Captain Hitsugaya is absolutely adorable, even when he’s being a hard ass! But like Yuki said, they’re not like you two!”

“Well I’m glad that you two are doing well.” she replied with a big smile, which made them question her appearance.

“Hey Miya...is that lipstick and earrings that you’re wearing??” Rumi inquired. “Since when were you so into makeup?”

“Yes...and you’re wearing your hair down when you usually wear it in a ponytail…” Shirayuki added.

Miyako scoffed. “What are you two talking about? I just wanted to look good for you both for our girls night out!”

Rumi and Shirayuki gave each other a questioning look. Miyako had never cared much about things of that nature; she preferred her natural beauty. Before they could continue to interrogate her, the waitress had stopped in to take their order.

Soon, the table was decorated with a pitcher of water, apple sake for Rumi, strawberry sake for Miyako, peach green tea for Shirayuki, glowing appetizers and entrees. Many laughs and sake shots later, it was Miyako’s turn to share about her time in the sixth division. The sake had started to mellow Miyako out, making her say more than she intended, even with a food buffer.

Once she noticed where the conversation was headed, Rumi was kind enough to make sure that the door was closed as Miyako quietly explained her tiff between her and Byakuya and her rivalry with Rika for Byakuya’s heart, which she claimed that she had no interest in. To her, he was just an older version the same snotty, childish and arrogant brat she remembered. Why would she be interested in him? She thought that she was telling the truth, but her friends thought otherwise. Her complaining was very detailed and centered mostly around the noble captain.

“And can you believe that he said that I was childish?!” she ranted as she slammed her ceramic cup on the table. “I told him that he would regret his words! And ever since then, I’ve been busting my ass day and night to prove him wrong! And no matter what I do, he won’t acknowledge me! All I get is that stone cold glare and scowl of his or he completely ignores me! He’s been like that since we were kids, always thinking that he’s better than me at everything besides shunpo! I can’t stand that arrogant, stuck up, childish son of a —”

“Whoa Miya, calm down! I think that you’ve had too much to drink, and that’s a lot coming from me.” Rumi scolded, quickly pulling the sake flask away from her. “Here, have some water.”  
Miyako glared at her as she exchanged her delicious sake for the plain water. She was no baby, that was for certain, but a headache was threatening to crash the party. Now the glass of water didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

“I’ve never seen you so fired up before. Does Captain Kuchiki’s behavior towards you really make you this upset?” she asked as Miyako took a gulp of water.

“...no! He just...I…” She found herself at a loss for words. “I don’t know and I don’t care! I don’t care what he does or what he thinks! I just want him to give up and admit defeat! Admit that he was wrong about me! But he’s such a stick in the mud!”

Rumi and Shirayuki glanced at each other momentarily before focusing again on Miyako.

<>“If you don’t care, then why are you working so hard to prove him wrong? Why does his approval mean so much to you?” Shirayuki asked before taking a sip of tea.

Miyako stayed silent as she avoided their gazes and hide her blushing cheeks, but she couldn’t fool Rumi. She knew the difference between blushed, drunken cheeks and the scarlet blush of hidden romantic feelings.

A sly smile grew on her face. “Miya...do you have a thing for Captain Kuchiki??”


End file.
